It can be extremely dangerous if a firearm runs out of ammunition in a critical situation for a soldier, law enforcement officer, hunter, or citizen required to use a firearm in self-defense. Typically, the only indication that a magazine is empty is the clicking of a firing pin in an empty chamber or the slider or bolt of the firearm locking in an open position. Of course, a user may simply count shots, but this is a difficult task to perform in a dangerous situation.
Most magazines do include some sort of indicator of rounds left. For example, a typical box magazine inserted within a grip of a pistol may include holes on the side of the magazine such that rounds within the magazine are visible when the magazine is removed. Numbers may even be printed or stamped next to each hole to indicate the number of rounds contained in the magazine up to that hole. However, these indicators are useful when loading but are not visible when the magazine is positioned within the firearm.
Accordingly, it would be an improvement in the art to provide a magazine enabling a user to determine a number of rounds therein while the magazine is inserted within a firearm.